Our only political party has two right wings, one called Republican, the other Democratic. But Henry Adams figured all that out back in the 1890s. "We have a single system," he wrote, and "in that system the only question is the price at which the proletariat is to be bought and sold, the bread and circuses."
Interpretation
This quote criticizes the American political system as being a single entity with two similar factions, emphasizing the manipulation of the working class.
Gore Vidal suggests that the American political landscape is dominated by two parties, the Republican and Democratic, that serve the same underlying system. Drawing on Henry Adams' insights, he argues that both parties ultimately exist to manage the proletariat, using distractions like 'bread and circuses' to keep the masses content while their real interests are commodified.
In practice
During a lecture on political systems, one could quote this to illustrate systemic issues in democracy.
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The important thing is not the object of love, but the emotion itself.
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The potential for the abuse of power through digital networks - upon which we the people now depend for nearly everything, including our politics - is one of the most insidious threats to democracy in the Internet age.
History and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government.
Those looking for ideology in the White House should consider this: For the men who rule our world, rules are for other people.
Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse.
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